Knockdown trestle.



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JOHN FIETSAM, OF OKAWVILLE, ILLINOIS.

KNOCKDOWN TRESTLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 6, 1907.

Application tiled February 26, I907. Serial No. 359,365.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN FiETsAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Okawville, in the county of lashington and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Knoekdown Trestle, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in trestles and analogous devices having legs which are adapted to be folded to adapt the device for transportation or storage, and it has for its object to provide a folding or knock-down trestle of this type wherein the parts may be folded into a very compact form without requiring the removal of any of its parts, and when the parts are properly assembled, the trestle will provide a rigid or secure support in which accidental collapsing is impossible and weakening of the attachment of the legs to the body portion prevented.

To these and other' ends, the invention consists in certain improvements, and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out particularly in the claims at the end of the specification.

ln the accompanying drawingz-Figure l is a perspective view of a trestle constructed in accordance with my present invention. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. I, showing the parts in folded position. Fig. 3 represents a transverse section through the trestle, the legs being shown in operative position. Fig. 4 represents a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of bracket.

Similar parts in the various figures are indicated throughout by similar char-a eters of reference.

-According' to my present invention, the legs are mounted in pivotal relation to the body portion of the trestle, and they are locked in fixed relation thereto by means of suitable brackets having sockets formed there-l in to receive the upper ends ofthe legs and with which the latter are engaged and disengaged by a relative longitudinal movement of the legs.

In the present embodiment of the invention, an ordinary trestle is shown embodying a body portion l of any suitable form and dimensions and having the leg brackets secured thereto, the latter being substantially duplicates mounted in reverse arrangement adjacent to the opposite ends of the body portion. Each bracket embodies a pivot member 2 having an intermediate portion adapted to lit the under side of the body portion and provided with a pair of downwardly extending, and preferably diverging, arms 3 and 4, the latter being provided toward their ends with apertures 5 and 6 to receive a pivot bolt '7 the latter being preferably struck on a curve about the intermediate portion as a center. On the bolt 7 are pivoted the legs 8 and 9, the latter being provided with longitudinal slots l0 for the purpose of permitting a relative longitudinal movement of the legs relatively to the pivot bolt, and encircling the latter and arranged between the legs is a helical compression spring II having its ends bearing against the inner sides of the legs to retain the latter in coperative relation with the pivot arms 3 and 4 of the bracket.

Mounted in coperative relation with the pivot member of each bracket is a stop member I2 having an intermediate attaching portion adapted to lit against the corresponding portion of the pivot member and to receive the fastening screws I3 by means of which both members of the bracket are attached to the body portion of the trestle.

At the inner side of each of the stop members is provided a downturned stop I4, and at the outer edge thereof is provided a stop l5, the space between the inner and outer stops and the pivot arms of the bracket forming a socket to receive the upper ends of the two coperating legs, and the latter are inserted into these sockets for turning them on their pivot bolts until their upper ends engage the inner stops I4, clearing the outer or shorter stop I5, and while the legs are in this position the bottom portion is moved downwardly relatively to the legs, the pivot bolts 7 moving toward the lower ends of the longitudinal slots l0 in the legs and permitting the upper ends of the latter to enter `between the inner and outer stops I4 and l5, the latter serving to lock the legs and prevent pivotal movement thereof about the pivot bolts, and the spring Il, operating at the inner sides of the legs, serves to retain the latter in coperative relation with the pivot arms of the bracket, thereby preventing relative lateral yielding of the legs. When it is desirable to fold the trestle, the legs are pulled downwardly in the direction of their length, disengaging their outer ends from the sockets in the leg brackets, and as the upper ends of the legs clear the outer stop l5, a pivotal movement will be permitted them, enabling the legs to be folded lclosely or substantially parallel to the body portion, as shown in Fig. 2, and if desired, .a loop IG may be slipped over the ends of the legs and fastened to a staple I7 on the body portion to secure the legs in folded position. IIowever, the yielding pressure of the spring Il serves to hold the legs against the eooperating pivot arms oi the brackets with sutlicient pressure to prevent relative turning movement between these parts, except when sullicient force is applied, and this will not only serve to hold the legs in closed position, but it will prevent them from aceidentally disengaging from the brackets when in assembled position when the trestle is lifted from the floor or other support. In some cases, such as in trestles of larger sizes, it may be desirable to reinforce the inner stops of the brackets and a reinforced stop adapted for this purpose is shown in Fig. 5 wherein the strip of material is bent downwardly from its attaching portion as at IS and thence doubled at an acute angle to form a brace arm I9, the free end of the latter loo,

Abeing provided with a lug 20 by means of which it may be firmly attached to the inside oi the trestle body.

A trestle constructed in accordance with my present invention may be readily iolded into compact -iorm tor shipment orstorage, and it may be quickly" assembled, these operations being accomplished without the necessity ot removing and replacing parts that are liable to become lost, and when the parts are assembled, the legs will be positively locked in iixed relation to the body portion with a strength sufficient to sustain relative longitudinal, as well as lateral, strains that may be applied to the trestle, and accidental lolding or disengagement oi the parts is prevented by means of the spring device arranged between the legs. As the brackets may be formed oi' sheet metal at a single operation, the device may be constructed at small cost, and it is not only adapted tor use as a trestle, butl the invention may be applied to benches, tables and other devices wherein it is desirable to told the legs ior storage, shipment or compact torni.

1. ln a trestle, the combination with a body portion, and legs adapted to cooperate therewith, ot brackets for securing the legs in cooperative relation with the body portion having sockets lol-med therein, bracket arms having means ior mounting the legs in pivotal relation with the body portion and permitting a relative longitudinal movement ot the legs to insert and relnove them relatively to the sockets ot' the brackets, and a device connecting each pair ot legs and holding them yieldingly in t'rietional engagement with the respective brackets 'l'or preventing longitudinal movement ol' the legs toward unlocked position.

2. In a trestle, the combination with a body portion, and a set ot independently movable legs adapted to cooperate therewith, ot bri fkets secured to the body portion having diver-gently arranged pivot arms operatively connected to the respective legs to permit relative pivotal and longitudinal movements thereot'. inner and outer stops adapted to engage the legs by a relative longitudinal movement thereoi` and to cooperate with the ends ot' the legs for preventing pivotal movement thereot when the legs and body portion are in assembled relation, and a device tor xretaining the legs in cooperative relation with the respective pivot arms of the brackets.

3. In a trestle, the 'combination with a body portion, and pairs ot independently movable legs adaptedto cooperate therewith, ot brackets carried hy the body portion each having a pair ot divergently arranged pivot arms,

means cooperating with said arms and the respective legs for permitting a pivotal and relatively longitudinal movenient: of the legs, a stop on the bracket for limiting the pivotal movement of each pair of legs and adapted to be engaged and disengaged by a relative longitudinal movement ot' the legs, and devices connecting the legs of each pairfor holding them yieldingly in rictional engagement with the respective pivot arms of the brackets.

t. In a trestle, the combination with a suitable body portion, of a set of legs adapted to coperate therewith, of brackets arranged on the body portion each having a pair of pivot arms, pivot bolts connecting said arms and cooperating with a pair of the legs to support the latter in pivotal relation to the body portion, and a spring cooperating with said legs to produce a yielding pressure between the latter and the pivot arms of the brackets.

5. In a trestle, the combination with a suitable body portion, and a set of legs adapted to cooperate therewith, ot' brackets arranged on the bottom portion and each embodying a pair ot' pivot arms, a pivot bolt connected to said arms and cooperating with a pair of the legs to secure them in pivotal relation to the body portion, and a helical spring encircling the pivot bolt and engaging the inner sides of the respective legs for holding the latter in cooperative relation with the pivot arms ot the brackets.

t3. In a Trestle, the combination with a suitable body portion and legs adapted to coperate therewith, of brackets for supporting the legs in proper relation to the body portion` each embodying a pivot member having an intermediate attaching portion and a pair of diverging arms arranged angularly thereto, means for pivotally connecting said arms and the respective legs, and a stop member` extending at right angles to the pivot member and embodying an inner stop, a relatively shorter outer stop, said stop being adapted t'o receive the upper ends ot the respective legs between them, and an intermediate attaching portion, and securing means extending through the attaching portions ot the pivot and stop members for securing the latter to the body portion.

T. ln a trestle, the combination with a suitable body portion and legs adapted to coperatie therewith, of brackets. means thereon for pivotally connecting each pair ot legs with the body portion, and stops cooperating with the legs above their' pivots for limiting the pivotal movement of the legs ol` each pair embodying an inner stop having an angularly extending brace arm attached at its end to the body portion. and a relatively shorter outer stop arranged to be moved into and ont ot the path of movement of both legs ot each pair by a relative longitudinal movement of the latter.

ln testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto allixed my signature in the presence ot two witnesses.

JOHN FIETSAM.

Witnesses Groenen lnos'r, A. R. Oer-Is. 

